The Value of Handmade

What is the value of handmade? It's a question that many of us ask ourselves as we price our handmade goods or search for the perfect handmade gift. Monetary value can be broken down easily enough. Add the cost of materials, a decent hourly rate and you've got a number. Prices allow us to buy and sell, but do they really reflect the value of our goods?

When we buy handmade we're demonstrating a value that goes beyond price. To buy handmade is to invest in an art form, a way of life and a cultural ideal. It's to take part in a system that supports the individual, the artist and the entrepreneur in a society and an economic system that leans in the opposite direction.

At the Aurora Shoe Company we are proud to be a part of the handmade culture. Aurora Shoes are made with pride in Upstate New York using only American sourced materials. This means a lot in an age when many products are assembled under sub-standard or unregulated working conditions using materials that are often produced in even less desirable conditions. All of these materials and products travel great distances to finally make it onto the shelves of American shops where the shipping, import taxes and marketing costs result in products whose pricing does not reflect their quality.

At Aurora Shoe you pay for what you get: high quality materials, superior craftsmanship, serious comfort and a solid guarantee. You can see the Aurora Shoe production process for yourself by watching this video, filmed by a local newspaper about a year ago.

The next time you decide to spend your hard earned money, consider what you're investing in and look for the real value that isn't reflected in its price.